Thread storage and advancing reel



March 2, 1954 H. M. G. wLLAMs ET AL 5703 0 THREAD STORAGE AND ADVANCING REEL Filed Oct. 18, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet l /n/enfors Horo/dMa/o/m Gordon W/[0075 Fred Dyson By /heiraflomeys I March 1954 H. M. G. wLLAM s ET AL 2,670, 40

THREAD STORAGE AND ADVANCING REEL Filed Oct. 18, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 F I G 2 /n venia/5 Ham/a'Ma/co/m Gordon VI/mms Fred Dysn By {he/'r alfomeys H. iv. G. wLLAMs ET AL 2,670,84O THREAD STORAGE AND ADVANCING REEL March 2,' 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 l Filed Oct. 18, 1951 Patented Mar. 2, 1954 assigno's to Courtaulds 'Gliii's iirirfmjpplication Great Britain Octber 27, '1950 1 This invention relates to the dryng-of;ontinu- 'ous lengths of text-;ile threads; fibres, fi-laments and-the like, hereinafter generally referred to 'sthreads; of all types for example Visco'se rayon, -ce11u1ose acetate rayon and rubber-sulphur di- 'oxide threads;

lnewet spinning processe's for making *continuousifilament threads, 'it is necessary, after 'the -'required processing'treatments, to-dry the thread *and indryspinn'ng ;processes it is necessary'to' :remove the solvent -from the thread.- In one 'know-ncontinuous spinning process 'the thread obtained by 'wet or dry spinnng a thread-forming-solution is -processed without a break'on a series of thread-advancing reeis and ist/hen drd on-a= heated reel under tension and collected, usually 'as a twisted' thread; In the customers' cellulose acetate dry spinning process the thread is dried in hot air also under ftensi'on. Inmany instarces however it ise-desira-ble that--thedrying :should -b eected- 'under *such conditions that 'the- 'thread' 'can 'relax: One such example' is in the *drying of the :threads obtained oy extrud- :ifgasolut n of; rubber orrubber like materials into-a `svlphur dioxide solution in 'the presence ofa *suitable cataiyst;` 'es described* -for example in United States eatent specic'at ionsNos-2,265;- :722-*and 2 4G9;847- and ;British patent specifica- `tios Nos. '608',078 and 6163276; *such *threads* on 'drying under-go longitudinah shrinka'ge; usually of theorder-of from &to 1 2- per'cent,` an-drying fudertension *tends to prod'ue brittle threads.

'Ihread 'advahcing reels' which are 'designed' "to 'allow a" pre-'dtermined-"shrinkag are known '(See *for example 'British specifi'catioh No; '489','7810 `'but 'such 're'ls are unsuitable *for ribber"-su1phur dioxi'de threads sine'the shrih'kag'e is` 'still' ef- =fe'cted' under sufiicienttension' to' cause` embrittle- -ment of thethread.- In addition, it maay be'he'cssary' to 'Convey 'ta: thread 'from one point-` to 'another without subjecting the thread to excssive tension.

'Th' object' of the present i'nv'eiti'on isto'p'rodioe a 'thread storage and advancing dev'ic'e 'in which the thread is conveyed, and prefera-bly simultaneously dried, under low tension;

Acbording 'to the' present invention 'a thread strage 'and' adv'acing reercomprises a hollow restarting, the thread sets itself up again automatically, no action by the operator being required. We term the reel a centrifugal reel.

The dried thread leaving the open end of the cage may be collected directly on bobbins without twisting or with twisting as on a cap spinning machine.

Examples of reels constructed according to the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of one type of reel,

Figure 2 is a section of ure 1 on line 2-2,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of an alternative form of reel, and

Figure 4 is a section on the reel of Figure 3 on the line 4--4 but showing only one leaf-spring and its associated mechanism in full section.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there is a hollow shaft i, a cage comprising a concentric reel member 2 and an eccentric reel member 3. The concentric reel member 2 is secured to a fiange 4 on the shaft I by screws 5 so that it rotates with, and around the aXis of, the shaft i. The eccentric reel member 3 is eccentrically mounted around the shaft I on eccentrically mounted bearings G between the reel member 3 and a stationary hearing-housing 1. The shaft l carries a gear 8 by which it is rotated. The reel member 2 is provided with a number of circumferential bars 9 and the reel member 3 is provided with a like number of circumferentiai rods I@ each pivoted about a spindle li. The spindles H are secured to the reel member 3 at their upper ends by bolts 21 and in a ring !2 at their lower ends by bolts 28. A bar !3 is pivoted to each rod 10 so that the bars 13 interleave with the reel shown in Fi the bars 9 to form a substantially cylindrical thread-supporting surface within the cage. As the reel member 3 is eccentrically mounted around the shaft l the inner face of some of its bars 13 will project beyond the bars 9 of reel member 2 while that of others will be within the bars 9. advancement to the thread in the cage a wedgeshaped ring cam !4 is secured to the housing 'I and each of the rods n can-les a cambered thrust roller 15, a thrust race 16 being provided between the reel members 2 and 3. .As a result, the cam 14 depresses vertically all the rods e and their associated bars 13 during each revolution of the cage. Springs ll are mounted around the spindles ll between the rods i& and the ring !2 in order to effect the return motion of the bars e. A stationary delivery tube !8 is set within the shaft i to act as a guide for delivering a thread [9 into the cage, the path of the thread I9 being diagrammatically shown in dotted lines. The reel member 2 drives the reel member 3 through six roller pns 28 mounted on the member 2 each of which is inserted into a hardened steel bush 2l, mounted on the member 3, and having an internal diameter almost twice that of the pins 20 so that a limited relative movement between the members 2, 3 is permitted.

When the cage illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is used to dry the thread !9, a stream of hot air may be blown into the cage from the open end or a heating coil supplied with steam, hot water, hot air or having an electric element may be placed around the cage. The bars 9 may conveniently be about 6 inches long with the inside diameter of the cage about 6 inches. A suit- In order to give the necessary able speed for the cage is from 200 to 2000 revolutions per minute.

In Figures 3 and 4, the cage is similar in construction to that shown in Figures 1 and 2, like reference numbers being included to denote like parts, except that the ring cam is dispensed with and the eccentric reel member 3 is replaced by a cylinder 22 provided with interleaving bars 23 the axis of the cylinder being both offset and askew to the axis of the concentrically-mounted reel member 2. The bars 23 interleavc with the bars 9 and are secured in pairs by flexible retaining springs 24 riveted to the inner surface of the cylinder 22 as shown at 29. The interleaving bars 23 and 9 form a substantially cylindrical thread supporting surface within the cage. The bars 9 are secured to a disc 25 at their lower ends and a ring guide 26 is provided at the centre of the disc 25 to allow the withdrawal of the thread !9 from the inside of the cage to the exterior.

As the axis of the cylinder 22 is both offset and askew to the axis of the shaft i and the reel member 2, the inner face of some of the bars 23 Will project beyond the bars 9 of the member 2 While that of others will be within the bars 9. As the cage makes one revolution, each bar 23 will successively pass through its maximum and minimum positions with regard to the bars 9 and since their axis of rotation is askew to the axis of the member 2, the thread 19 passing through the cage will be forwarded by the bars 23 once in each revolution. In Figure 4, the maximum position is shown at A and the minimum position is shown at B.

The cage shown in Figures 3 and 4 may be heated if required as described above with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

What we claim is:

l. A thread storage and advancing reel comprising a hollow shaft, a hollow cage of cantilever constructicn mounted for rotation on the end of the hollow shaft, the said cage being formed by two reel members each provided with a number of circumferential bars which interdigitate to form a. substantially cylindrical thread-supporting surface within the cage, the shaft terminating substantially at the beginning of th inner cylindrical space defined by the bars, one of the reel members being concentrically mounted on the hollow shaft and the other being eccentrically mounted within the other ree member but on an axis which is oiiset to the axis of the shaft, and a cam to displace the bars of the eccentrically mounted reel member during rotation of the reel so that they co-operate with the bars of the concentrically mounted ree member to advance in a number of generally helical turns over 4 the inside of the bars thread introduced centrifugally inside the cage by way of th hollow shaft.

2. A reel as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bars of the eccentrically-mounted reel member 'are pivoted to rods fixed to the eccentricallymounted reel member. 4

3. A thread storage and advancing reel comprising a hollow shaft, a hollow cage of cantilever construction mounted for rotation on the end'of the hollow shaft, the said cage being formed by two reel members each provided with a number of circumferential bars which interdigitate to form a substantially cylindrical thread-supporting surface within the cage, cne of the reel members being concentrically mounted on the hollow shaft and the other being eccentrically mounted within the other reel member but on an axs which is both ofiset and askew to the axis of the shaft so that during rotation of the reel the bars co-operate to advance in a number of generally helical turns over the inside of the bars thread introduced eentrifugally inside the cage by way of the hollow shaft.

4. A thread storage and advancing reel comprising a hollow shaft, a hollow cage of cantilever construction mounted for rotation on the end of the hollow shaft, the said cage being formed by two reel members each provided with a number of circumferential bars which interdigitate to form a substantially cylindrical thread-supporting surface within the cage, the shaft terminating substantially at the beginning of the inner cylindrical space defined by the bars, and means causing relative movement of the bars during rotation of the reel to cause them to cooperate a to advance in a number of generally helical turns over the inside of the bars thread introduced centrifugally inside the cage by way of the hollow shaft.

H. M. GORDON WILLIAMS. F. DYSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,175,2 18 samerdyke Oct. 10, 1939 2,225,642 Knebusch et al. Dec. 24, 1940 2,414,644 Gram Jan. 21, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 220,721 Switzerland July 16, 1942 

